Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Skin fungus infections in young dogs and cats in southern Italy
By Cafarchia, C et al.·Published in Mycoses·2004·Dipartimento di Sanità, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The epidemiology of canine and feline dermatophytoses in southern Italy.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that many young dogs and cats in southern Italy had skin problems like hair loss and scaling due to a fungal infection called dermatophytosis, primarily caused by a fungus known as Microsporum canis. Out of 424 animals examined, about 23% tested positive for this infection, with Yorkshire terriers being particularly affected. Interestingly, the infection was more common in young pets under one year old, and it was noted that the presence of the fungus didn't always cause itching. Fungal cultures were the most reliable way to diagnose the infection, as other tests like Wood's lamp were not very effective.
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Abstract
A total of 424 animals (268 dogs and 156 cats) with skin lesions (alopecia and peripheral scaling) were examined from January 1999 to December 2002. Of the 424 samples examined, 99 (23.3%) yielded a positive culture and, in particular, 20.5% of the dog samples and 28.2% of the cat samples. Microsporum canis was the most common dermatophyte isolated from dogs and cats (77.7%), followed by geophilic dermatophyte species (M. gypseum, Trichophyton terrestre). Young dogs and cats, especially those younger than 1 year, showed a statistically significant higher prevalence of M. canis infection than older animals. No statistically significant association was found between infection and sex in cats, while male dogs were more affected by dermatophytes. Among breeds, Yorkshire terriers showed the highest positivity (50%) caused mainly by M. canis (46.6%), while no differences were noticed for cats. A significantly higher prevalence of positive samples was registered in summer and in autumn for cats. The presence of dermatophytes was not associated with itching. The diagnostic value of Wood's lamp fluorescence and microscopic examination proved to be scarce compared with fungal cultures as only 45.5% of the 77 samples that tested positive for M. canis at the cultural examination was positive under Wood's lamp florescence and 53.2% at microscopic examination.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15601458/